Ok so does it matter if..

Does it matter if my No-IP DNS and RAT client aren't open or connected to the internet when someone opens my server? I think my server is set to run with the computer on startup. It's installed into the %System% path anyway.

Because my RAT client always freezes on my win7 laptop which is my computer and I check every so often on my WinXP desktop which is the one I use to connect to my RAT client, the WinXP desktop doesn't have my No-IP DNS open or even an internet connection most of the time. Does this affect my ability to connect to the people who have installed my server? That would clear up my problem if it did.

Also I have portforwarded correctly on both computers but the connection is only shown as OPEN when I have an internet connection, my No-IP DNS open and my RAT client running. I think that's normal anywho.

No it doesn't matter, the connection is active and ready to go if they've executed it. So you can connect whenever you feel like it providing that the infection isn't compromised or their PC is off.